%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
% %
% %
%% %%
%%%% %%%%
%%%%%%%%
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ %% ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ %% ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ %% ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ %% ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ BECOME STILL. ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ %% %% ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ %% ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
##¶&%%†~,¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨,~†%%&¶##
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
&%%†~,¨¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨¨,~†%%&
¶&%%†~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~†%%&¶
#¶&%%†~,¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨,~†%%&¶#
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%